Paneer Kofta in Coconut Gravy

Happy Holi!!! The festival of colours! Every Indian festival evokes special memories of childhood and Holi is above all of them. Meeting up cousins, drenched up discolored dresses, giggling and stopover for snacks, coming back home, a thorough scrub , a heavenly lunch and a deep slumber. This was invariably our set routine.

It’s different for today’s kids. Busy schedules ( rather busy parents’ schedules) confines their celebration at the most to the colony. But there is no dearth of enthusiasm . So, this year after the kids had a thorough and tiring play with colours, and a reluctant scrubbing and rubbing, chicken curry was waiting for them. This vegeterain mom had to dish up something equally scrumptious for herself. I scrolled down Sanjeev kapoor’s site and shortlisted koftas. Halfway through, decided to experiment with the recipe and dunk the koftas in a south Indian flavoured gravy. So, made a coconut gravy to go with these super soft air fryed koftas. Now, not only did this humble vegeterian delicacy ruled the lunch, kids demanded it to be preserved for their dinner!

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

Paneer (cottage cheese), finely grated- 250 gm

Potatoes ( boiled and mashed)- 2 medium sized

Raisins- 2 tablespoon

Onion ( finely chopped )- 1

Salt- to taste

Turmeric- 1/2 teaspoon

Chilly powder- 1/2 teaspoon ( vary according to taste)

Cumin / Jeera powder- 1/2 teaspoon

Dry corriander/ dhaniya powder- 1/2 teaspoon

Fresh corriander (finely chopped)- 1 to 2 tablespoon

Chaat masala- 1 teaspoon

For gravy:

Oil- 2 to 3 tablespoon

Bay leaf/ tej patta- 1

Onion ( thinly sliced or finely chopped)- 1 large

Ginger- garlic paste- 1 tablespoon

Tomato ( finely chopped)- 1 large

Fresh coconut ( grated)- 3 to 4 heaped tablespoons

Charmagaz( melon seeds)- 2 tablespoon

Turmeric- 1/2 teaspoon

Salt- to taste

Kasoori methi ( dried fenugreek), crushed- 1 teaspoon

Garam masala- 1/4 teaspoon

Method:

In a bowl, take grated cheese and mashed potatoes, add chopped onion, raisins and other spices.

Add chopped corriander at last, mix thoroughly, make small balls .

Either deep fry them or air fry them at 180 degree C for 15 minutes. keep checking in between, if they have browned sufficiently.once done, take them out and keep seperately.

Hi , I’am Neelima and welcome to my space!! I’am a full time practicing dentist. Cooking had always been my passion, and baking which had started as a fascination is now crossing over to be an obsession.